Abstract
Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are a prompt, high energy, very intense natural emission of gamma rays from Earth’s atmosphere. Consisting of an upward sub-millisecond bursts of gamma ...rays (energy up to one hundred MeV), TGFs are mostly generated in powerful thunderstorms by lightnings. Given their production mechanism, several TGF counterparts can be detected too (mostly radio waves, electron beams and neutrons from photo-production). To investigate the X- and gamma-ray components, the ideal experiment is a space-borne instrument, operating at Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and featuring a fast detector response, possibly with spectral abilities. The CubeSat space mission LIGHT-1, launched in December 21st, 2021 and deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on February 3rd, 2022, has been tailored around such physics requirements and it represents the technological demonstrator of possible larger missions to detect and localize TGF events. LIGHT-1 will help in making advancements in the TGF current knowledge: TGF occurring rates, average ignition altitude, production mechanism and effects on daily life on Earth are yet to be fully modeled and understood. In this paper the main characteristics of LIGHT-1 mission and the first preliminary flight data are reported.
Over the time, instrument transportability has become more and more important, especially in Cultural Heritage, as often artworks cannot be moved from their site, either because of the size or due to ...problems with permission issues, or simply because moving them to a laboratory is physically impossible, as e.g. in the case of mural paintings. For this reason, the INFN-CHNet, the network for Cultural Heritage studies of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), has developed an XRF scanner for in situ analyses. The instrument is the result of a wide collaboration, where different units of the network have been developing the diverse parts, then merged in a single system. The XRF scanner has been designed to be a
four-season
and
green
instrument. The control/acquisition/analysis software has been fully developed by our group, using only open-source software. Other strong points of the system are easiness of use, high portability, good performances and ultra-low radiation dispersion, which allows us to use even when the public can be present. It can run both with mains or on batteries, in the latter case with a maximum runtime longer than 10 h. It has a very low cost, when compared to commercial systems with equivalent performances, and easily replaceable components, which makes it accessible for a much wider portion of the interested community. The system has been thought and designed as an open system, suitable for further development/improvements, that can result interesting for non-conventional XRF analysis. The CHNet XRF scanner has proved to be really very well suited for applications in the Cultural Heritage field, as testified by the many recent applications. This paper describes the present version of our instrument and reports on the tests performed to characterise its main features.
Graphical abstract
A compact muon tracking system for didactic and outreach activities Antolini, R.; Candela, A.; Conicella, V. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
07/2016, Letnik:
824
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We present a cosmic ray telescope based on the use of plastic scintillator bars coupled to ASD-RGB1S-M Advansid Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) through wavelength shifter fibers. The system is ...comprised of 200 electronic channels organized into 10 couples of orthogonal planes allowing the 3D reconstruction of crossing muons. Two monolithic PCB boards have been designed to bias, readout all the SiPMs enclosed in the system, to monitor the working parameters and to remotely connect the detector. To make easier the display of muon tracks to non-expert users, two LED matrices, triggered by particle interactions, have been implemented. To improve the usability of the muon telescope, a controller board unit permits to select different levels of trigger and allows data acquisition for refined analyses for the more proficient user. A first prototype, funded by INFN and deployed in collaboration with NYUAD, is operating at the Toledo Metro station of Naples, while two further detectors will be developed and installed in Abu Dhabi in the next few months.
•A compact system for real time displaying of muon tracks is presented.•The system is based on scintillating plates composed of doped polystyrene bars.•By using SiPMs and corresponding LEDs the muon paths can be visualized.•The purpose of this system is to introduce the public to sub-nuclear particles.
Cryogenic electronics for photosensors operating in liquid xenon Arneodo, F.; Benabderrahmane, M.L.; Bruno, G. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
08/2019, Letnik:
936
Journal Article
Recenzirano
We present the performances and characterization of the cryogenic readout for an array made of Hamamatsu S13370-3050CN (VUV4 generation) Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPC) operated at liquid xenon ...conditions. The electronics is designed to readout a maximum 64 individual VUV4 photosensors and it is based on the Analog Devices AD8011 current feedback operational amplifier. The AD8011 has been also selected for the realization of a preamplifier embedded onto a voltage divider base for the operation of Hamamatsu R11410 photomultiplier tubes. Results from the radio-purity screening of the AD8011 are also reported.
We present the performances and characterization of an array made of S13370-3050CN (VUV4 generation) Multi-Pixel Photon Counters manufactured by Hamamatsu and equipped with a low power consumption ...preamplifier operating at liquid xenon temperature (∼175 K). The electronics is designed for the readout of a matrix of maximum dimension of 8×8 individual photosensors and it is based on a single operational amplifier. The detector prototype presented in this paper utilizes the Analog Devices AD8011 current feedback operational amplifier, but other models can be used depending on the application. A biasing correction circuit has been implemented for the gain equalization of photosensors operating at different voltages. The results show single photon detection capability making this device a promising choice for future generation of large scale dark matter detectors based on liquid xenon, such as DARWIN.
The Rapid Acquisition Atmospheric Detector (RAAD), onboard the LIGHT-1 3U CubeSat, detects photons between hard X-rays and soft gamma-rays, in order to identify and characterize Terrestrial Gamma Ray ...Flashes (TGFs). Three detector configurations are tested, making use of Cerium Bromide and Lanthanum BromoChloride scintillating crystals coupled to photomultiplier tubes or Multi-Pixel Photon Counters, in order to identify the optimal combination for TGF detection. High timing resolution, a short trigger window, and the short decay time of its electronics allow RAAD to perform accurate measurements of prompt, transient events. Here we describe the overview of the detection concept, the development of the front-end acquisition electronics, as well as the ground testing and simulation the payload underwent prior to its launch on December 21st, 2021. We further present an analysis of the detector's in-orbit system behavior and some preliminary results.
We describe the performance of a $\mathrm{23\times 23\times30 ~mm^3}$ low
background cerium bromide, CeBr$_3$(LB), scintillator crystal coupled to a
Hamamatsu R11265U-200 photomultiplier. This ...detector will be the building block
for a gamma-ray detector array designed to be the payload for a CubeSat to be
launched in 2020. The aim of the mission is to study flashes of gamma rays of
terrestrial origin. The design of the detector has been tuned for the detection
of gamma rays in the 20 keV$-$3 MeV energy range.
PDF
